Few people understand the impact of the recession on individuals and families more than workers at the Island’s feeding programmes.Charities like the Eliza Dolittle Society and The Coalition for the Protection of Children have experienced an increase in demand for their services.Margaret Ward, Executive Director of the Society’s Daily Bread programme, said they were originally handing out 25 to 30 hot meals a week in the western parishes, but the number has recently soared to 51.She said the bi-weekly feeding programme, which launched last September, was seeing higher numbers of young men in their 20s and single-parent families, as the effects of the recession deepened.The Coalition for Protection of Children has seen a tripling of clients coming in for assistance due to the tough economy.According to Director Nicola Feldman, more and more single mothers have been struggling to afford the basic necessities for their children and therefore relying more on the charity to meet this need. “Many are unable to find employment or are working part time and not earning sufficient wages to cover rent, groceries and bills.“There is often a choice, and regularly results in the accumulation of debt for these already-struggling families,” Ms Feldman said. “There has certainly been a shift in the kinds of families who are coming in for assistance. Increasingly we are seeing educated, middle class individuals, both single and two-parent families, who have been affected by job redundancies and are not sure where else to turn.”Ms Feldman said The Coalition did not receive any Government funding and has had to rely solely on individual and corporation donations. Since the last academic year, the charity has seen larger numbers of students in need of breakfast at school.As a result their food costs for the feeding programme has “sky rocketed”, Ms Feldman said.This has made it even more difficult to expand services, she said, adding that it is costing far more to maintain the status quo.“We are continually brainstorming more creative ways to reduce costs and raise funds, such as promoting community donations of non-perishables to stock the food storehouse.“However, it is a constant struggle in these tough economic times,” she added.Ms Ward, who oversees feeding programmes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, said despite helping dozens of needy people in the west end, there was likely many more who weren’t coming forward due to “dignity”.“We are probably only seeing a percentage that will have enough nerve to get some food,” she said. “We were told of another family of nine where there is no income. That to me is showing it’s growing or people are more aware they can get food.“I know in one case there were six or seven teenagers that came in and I have heard them say ‘That is the first time we have eaten today’. I know a young man and he has absolutely no food or money and that is the only food he gets.”She said the programme staff made deliveries to people who wouldn’t come out, as well as to those without transportation, like seniors. The charity head said she didn’t know how people ate on the days the programme wasn’t running and admitted that reality was “scary”.The Daily Bread programme currently operates on Tuesdays at First Church of God in Somerset and Thursdays at Buellah Tabernacle in Somerset and Brighton Temple in Warwick.For more information on the programme visit www.elizadolittle.com or to learn more about The Coalition visit www.coalition.bm.